


hands are for shaking;

by unintentionallyangsty



Series: drive the dark things away; [3]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Thor: Ragnarok (2017) - Fandom
Genre: (kind of), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brodinsons, Brotherly Angst, Brothers, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Manhandling, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Unhealthy Relationships, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26809480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unintentionallyangsty/pseuds/unintentionallyangsty
Summary: The first week aboard theStatesman, tensions are running high.Unsure of Loki's loyalties and motivations, Thor confronts his brother in what may not be the best way possible.Together, they try to talk through the aftermath.(Whumptober 2020 Prompt #3 Fill: Manhandled).
Relationships: Loki & Thor, Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: drive the dark things away; [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949623
Comments: 17
Kudos: 208
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	hands are for shaking;

**Author's Note:**

> Loki & Thor. The _Statesman_. 
> 
> Written for the Whumptober 2020 Prompt #3 Fill: Manhandled. 

“What are you playing at?” 

Loki blinked up from the frankly staggering amount of paperwork on the desk before him (and really, he hadn’t thought that he’d have to deal with such an amount again quite so _soon_ ) in surprise, and watched as Thor stalked through the door to their chambers with a stormy expression on his face.

“You’ll have to be more specific.” he drawled, and made a show of rolling his eyes before he returned his attention to his paperwork--

Only for his concentration to be rudely broken by a hand slamming onto the desktop not a foot from his nose. 

“Heimdall said that you suggested our next stop, this morning.” 

The words drew Loki up short, and he paused, furrowing his brow as he fought to register what was happening. 

“I did.” he returned, at length, making sure to keep his tone carefully neutral.

Which clearly had little affect, if Thor’s low growl was anything to go by. 

“What?” Loki snapped, when Thor did not reply. “What is it?” 

“Any particular reason you’re so insistent upon the destination?” 

Again, Loki blinked, his brow furrowing as he glanced up to meet Thor’s steely gaze. 

“Define ‘insistent’.” he challenged, pointedly ignoring the way Thor’s expression darkened at the words. 

“He told me that you would not be swayed in your opinion.” 

_Ah_ , Loki thought, something like a bitter familiarity curling within his gut. _Of course he did_. 

“He would be correct.” he answered levelly. 

He did not miss how Thor’s cheek spasmed at the words, nor the way the hand still braced on the desk tightened into a fist. 

“Why?” Thor grit out, after a moment, and it was only then that Loki had the presence of mind to register the brief sense of fear he could feel flickering to life between his lungs. 

Rather than react, however, he simply offered an easy smile. 

“I happen to know these systems rather well.” he informed cooly, “And I know for a fact that the outpost I suggested is one of the only…friendlier ones for the next 4 weeks of travel, at least.” 

If anything, Thor’s scowl only grew. “And you would know this because?” 

For the first time since the conversation had begun, Loki felt himself falter. 

This was rather unlike his brother, he realized distantly. 

Ordinarily, he thought, Thor would not be so quick to offer judgement. 

Then again, he mentally countered, since when could he claim to truly “know” his brother, at all?

“Do not feign ignorance.” Loki chided gently, in spite of the trepidation he could feel beginning to quicken his pulse. “I am far more well-versed in space travel than you know.” 

“Is that so?” Thor’s tone, too, had taken on a cooler edge. “Then I assume that you would be well aware of where your allies might be located, as well.” 

All at once, Loki felt his blood chill, the air between the two of them cooling slightly as the words sunk in.

“My--” Loki trailed off, his throat drying slightly as he fought for an appropriate response. 

Did Thor really think… 

Had he truly been so vague in his actions? 

“I don’t pretend to know what you’re talking about.” he snapped, and gathered the papers on the desk before him into his arms as he rose and made to exit the room--

Only for one of Thor’s hands to catch his right forearm, the grip tight and unrelenting. 

“No,” Thor growled, lowly. “I’m sure that you would not.” 

“I--” Loki grimaced, and tugged ineffectually at the hold on his arm. “You’re being ridiculous.” 

“Am I?” Thor returned. “Tell me then why you insisted on the outpost.” 

“I--Ah!” Loki cried out, softly, when the grip on his arm tightened almost painfully. “I told you. It’s the safest spot to refuel.” 

“Is that all?” Thor inquired and, before Loki could react, his free hand had risen to grip at Loki’s other elbow. “Is that _all_ , Loki?” 

“Yes!” Loki snapped, his arm jerking involuntarily against the stubborn hold. “Can you not just--just _listen_ for--” 

“Listen?” Thor interrupted with a clipped, bark of a laugh. “What reason have you given me to do so?” 

Ignoring the burning behind his eyes, now, Loki forced himself to grit his teeth. 

“I thought that my previous actions would have spoken for themselves.” he hissed, and jerked against Thor’s hands, again. “It seems that I was mistaken.” 

“Previous actions?” Thor repeated, his brow furrowing as he eyed Loki almost disbelievingly. “You-- _Your_ previous actions?” 

The words stung, Loki could not deny that, though he was well aware that they were not entirely unfounded. 

“I’m here, aren’t I?” he snapped, rather than address the accusation head on.

And, in spite of himself, he felt his stomach turn at the echo of his previously spoken sentiment. 

“Isn’t that enough?” 

“Is it?” Thor questioned, and it was only then that Loki was able to pick up on the faint trace of sadness coloring his tone. 

Something like grief surging within his chest, now, Loki felt himself snarl, though he had not necessarily registered the urge to do so. 

“That depends upon you, I suppose.” he spat. “Though I feel that you’ve displayed exactly how much you trust--” 

“You speak of trust?” Thor inquired incredulously. “When you will not even share with me the source of your insistence?” 

“Insistence?” Loki shook his head in bewilderment. “On the outpost? Thor, I give you my word--” 

“Your word?” Thor snarled, his grip tightening on Loki’s arms almost painfully. “What good is your word?” 

“I suppose--” Loki grimaced as the hold on his arms tightened further. “I suppose that decision falls on you.” he grit out. 

To his dismay, though not necessarily surprise, Thor’s expression darkened into a scowl. 

“And what choice have you given me?” he cried, “When you continue to muddy the truth with your words?”

And, before Loki could so much as open his mouth to reply, Thor shook him roughly, once, his quick and furious breaths fanning warmly over Loki’s face as he continued to glower. 

“Tell me of the outpost.” he demanded in a deceptively calm tone. 

“There--” Loki winced and leaned back as far as he was able, at the present moment. “There’s nothing to tell.” 

“Of your allies, then.” Thor amended, and yanked sharply at Loki’s right arm. “Tell me.” 

“I don’t pretend to know.” Loki retorted, and bared his teeth in a challenge. 

Too late, he noted Thor’s dangerously stormy expression. 

“Tell me!” Thor demanded, and immediately shook Loki so roughly his neck snapped backward with the force of the movement. 

“I don’t know!” Loki cried, nausea rising in his gut as Thor took a step backward, and wrenched at Loki’s arm as if he meant to drag him back with him. “There’s nothing-- I don’t know! _Stop!_ ” 

Before he could entirely register what it was he intended to do, Loki had brought both his hands up and shoved forcefully at Thor’s chest, having only a moment to catch his brother’s confused expression before his seiðr flickered--

And he landed, unsteady on his feet, in one of the storerooms at the corner of the ship, his hands shaking badly and his breaths leaving him in shallow gasps. 

It had hardly been a week since their exodus from Asgard. 

Only a week. And yet, despite his better judgement, Loki had allowed himself to think--to _hope--_

With a small gust of an exhale, Loki allowed himself to fall against the wall behind, the despair within his chest growing so rapidly he nearly reeled with the force of it. 

_Sentiment_ , he reminded himself with a small, humorless huff of a laugh. 

_Foolish sentiment._

Biting his lip against the whimper that wanted to escape now, Loki slid to the floor, tangling his still shaking hands in his hair and hiding his face shamelessly behind his knees as the previous conversation reeled through his mind.

Unsurprisingly, the feeling of Thor’s grip lingered, still burning on his arms like a brand. 

\---

_Earlier that morning;_

“We’re low on fuel.” 

Those had been Heimdall’s first words when Thor had entered the bridge, that morning. 

The words that had set off a truly unfortunate chain of events in Thor’s day. 

“I know.” Thor had replied, dimly.

In truth, he had seen the potential issue looming on the horizon for the past several days. 

They had stolen a seemingly long-unused leisure vessel, after all, and had somehow fallen into utilizing it as a makeshift home. 

A lack of fuel was a problem that was bound to crop up, sooner or later. 

Thor simply wished that it had been later, rather than sooner. 

“I know.” he repeated. “Is there somewhere we can refuel? Preferably close.” 

The corner of Heimdall’s mouth pinched in a familiar way that told Thor he was carefully considering his words before speaking. 

“I can see a number of systems and outposts ahead.” he informed sagely. “Though I do not know a number of them.” 

Quite the admission, coming from the Gatekeeper. 

It was, Thor lamented unhappily, yet another reminder of their helplessness as they floated with painful slowness through the cosmos. 

“Is there fuel?” Thor had prodded.

“I am unsure.” Heimdall admitted. 

It was Thor’s turn to frown. “And are they safe?” 

“That,” Heimdall had begun, turning from the vast window he had been studying for the first time to face Thor. “I cannot say. Though I will inform you that there is someone else aboard this ship who seems to think that they know the answer.” 

Thor had blinked, his brows drawing together in confusion, though a nagging suspicion had already begun to tug at the back of his mind. 

“Who?” he asked anyway. 

“Your brother.” 

_Of course_ , Thor thought with a small sigh, hesitation mingled with the ever-clinging, familiar warmth that always accompanied any mention of Loki tangling painfully within his chest. 

In recent days, the hesitation had won out, more often than not. 

It wasn’t that Thor wanted to distrust his little brother. On the contrary, he found his mind often wandering back to the conversation the two had had in the ship’s captain’s quarters, just hours after the battle on the Rainbow Bridge. 

_“I’m here.”_ Loki had told him, and Thor could not have stopped the rush of warmth and relief he could feel surging within his chest at the words, even if he had tried. 

And yet his mind also seemed insistent upon reminding him of the reasons why extending his trust blindly, yet _again_ , was a poor decision. 

(Loki stripping their father of his memories and banishing him to earth, seemingly with little remorse to show for his actions. 

Loki alive (blessedly _alive_ ) for four years without bothering to tell him. 

Loki in the docking bay, preparing to betray him (betray Asgard) without a thought). 

And it was true, he had come back, though Thor was unsure of how much of that was simply because his brother had nowhere else to go.

Or because the escape might have been an easy, free ride off of Sakaar. 

Regardless, he had risked his own life to resurrect Surtur and, ultimately, triggered Ragnarok at Thor’s bidding. 

It had not been a small task, and Thor was immensely grateful for it. 

Already, this was enough information to have Thor’s head spinning, at war with itself over what to believe and how much trust to extend. 

And he had hardly gone further back than the past few years. 

All this to say, Loki had certainly not taken the brief respite following the Battle for Asgard to rest. 

Rather, to Thor’s mild surprise, he had followed doggedly on Thor’s heels, offering to help with taking stock of supplies or notes during council meetings. 

Really, anything Thor himself did not have time for.

Which, apparently, extended to counseling Heimdall on where they should make their next stop for fuel. 

“And what did he suggest?” Thor asked, at length. 

“A small outpost, not a two day journey from us.” Heimdall replied with a small nod. “It seems...suitable.” 

Thor felt his brow wrinkle at the unfamiliar hesitation behind Heimdall’s tone. 

“You don’t seem sure.” he countered and, when Heimdall’s gaze flickered briefly away, Thor prodded, “Heimdall?” 

“It is suitable.” Heimdall amended. “Prince Loki seemed certain.” he paused, then added, “He insisted quite firmly upon it, my Lord.” 

Thor felt something within him twist slightly at the words. 

“How firmly?” he inquired, after a beat, a little unsure if he wanted to hear the answer. 

“He would not be swayed.” Heimdall answered, at once. “When I informed him of other options, he was adamant upon his decision. And would not hear argument.” 

“Do you suspect him of having ill intentions?” Thor questioned, hesitantly. 

“I think,” Heimdall replied, slowly, “That his insistence was a question to be raised in itself.”

There was a brief silence as the words hung between them, and Thor felt his trepidation grow. 

“Shall we set course, my King?” Heimdall asked, after a moment. 

“I would speak with my brother, first.” Thor returned with a small shake of his head. “Wait for my command.” 

“As you wish.” Heimdall nodded again, and Thor returned the gesture before turning on his heel and making to return to his chambers. 

His chambers, where he’d left Loki not an hour before, hunched over his paperwork in the corner and acting as if nothing at all was amiss. 

The frown on his face twisted into a small scowl, now, and Thor quickened his steps, irritation beginning to win out in the battle of tangled emotions within his chest. 

Whether it was irritation at Loki for his potential nefarity, or at himself for his thrice damned continued trust, however… 

That remained to be seen. 

\---

_Present;_

Thor stumbled back a surprised step, his hands tightening into fists around empty air, where Loki had been stood seconds earlier. 

Some of his anger drained out of him at the shock and, abruptly, he felt cold. 

“Loki?” he called, though he already knew the effort was pointless. 

When they had fought in the past, and Loki had subsequently teleported to get out of owning up to his actions (or simply because he did not wish to hear Thor shout any longer), he had often travelled to a space as far away as possible from Thor. 

On a moving spacecraft, it was a risky move, though Thor had no doubt that his brother could achieve it with hardly a thought. 

The thought evaporated another good portion of Thor’s anger, leaving a sort of hollowness in the space between his ribs in its wake. 

The conversation had, admittedly, not gone as he’d intended. His walking into it already frustrated had been his first mistake, as Loki tended to clam up and dig his heels in stubbornly at the first hint of Thor’s anger. 

They knew each other too well at this point to effectively argue, anyway, he considered with little humor. 

If only Loki wasn’t insistent upon being so damned _stubborn_ , he considered, though the thought held little satisfaction. 

For he knew that as much of the blame for the argument lay upon him as it did Loki. 

Not that it hadn’t been as much of an imminent threat as the ship’s running low on fuel. 

Tensions had been running at an all-time high, the longer they got used to their significantly smaller living quarters. 

After all, the two of them going from years of hardly speaking to each other, sometimes galaxies apart, to sharing one room hardly bigger than Thor’s own bedroom back on Asgard… 

It was a work in progress, and an argument was hardly unexpected. 

However, he mentally conceded to correcting his previously thought a little begrudgingly, for he knew that most of the blame for this particular argument was his. 

Loki, in all his refusals to be upfront about his intentions and simply _communicate_ , for once, had at least attempted to reason with him. 

And, in the end, hadn’t he given Thor his word? The tricky and slippery thing that it was, it had still been offered freely. 

With a small growl, more in frustration at himself than anything, now, Thor turned to exit the room, regret already churning in his gut as he hastened down the hallway outside the chambers. 

The ship was not vast, but it was large enough to hold enough places for Loki to hide for at least an hour. 

Particularly if he did not want to be found. 

The thought firmly in mind, Thor’s mouth flattened into a grim line as he turned a corner into the next room--

Only to nearly bowl over the Valkyrie, who halted him with a forearm quickly raised to brace against his chest. 

“Valkyrie!” he cried, forcing himself to offer a small smile and a curt nod. “I apologize--” 

“Your brother’s crying in a closet.” the Valkyrie interrupted with a wryly raised brow. 

Thor blinked, the words taking a moment to catch up with him. “What?” 

“Your brother,” the Valkyrie repeated, slowly, “Is crying in a closet.” 

“No, no. I heard you. I just--” Thor trailed off and shook his head, a little taken aback. “He’s--How do you know?” 

There was little to no chance of Loki picking a hiding spot so obvious that someone would have stumbled upon it in less than 10 minutes.

And there was even less of a chance that he would have ever been caught dead crying in front of someone he hardly knew. 

“I was wandering.” the Valkyrie was informing him. “Looking for booze, since this wretched ship doesn’t seem to have much of it.” she turned away and sniffed a little derisively. “Anyway, he was in one of the back storerooms all...curled up on the floor and stuff.” 

Thor felt something within him lurch in alarm, and was barely able to hold himself back from sprinting off in whatever direction might lead him to his brother. 

Funny, how that worked. 

How quickly all his lingering anger had diminished in the face of Loki’s apparent pain. 

“Where--” 

“One door down to the right.” the Valkyrie cut in smoothly. “If he hasn’t moved, by now.” 

“Right,” Thor nodded once, “I--”

“What happened?” 

Thor blinked again. “What?” 

“What happened?” the Valkyrie repeated, crossing both arms over her chest, a second brow rising to meet the first. 

“I…” Thor trailed off, and glanced briefly away before admitting, “We had a--a disagreement.” 

“Can’t say that I blame you.” the Valkyrie shrugged slightly. “Though I will say that he looked pretty wrecked over it.” 

Before Thor could think of how to reply to that, the Valkyrie was already making to skirt around him and continue on her way.

“I--I thank you!” Thor called over his shoulder, and noted the Valkyrie’s absently waved hand before he moved to hasten in the direction she had indicated. 

From there, it did not take him long to track down the room she had mentioned. 

Though, predictably, he found himself faltering just outside the closed door, one hand half outstretched toward the control panel. 

With a small and frustrated sigh, Thor allowed his arm to drop back to his side as he rocked back on his heels and surveyed the door.

If Loki had not fled, and was truly behind it… 

Thor wasn’t entirely sure what he intended to do. 

Apologize? Offer what comfort Loki would accept? 

Somehow, Thor did not believe it would be much. 

Heaving a small sigh, Thor raised his hand again and, before he could overthink it, pressed the button on the panel that allowed the door to slide open--

Only for the inhale to catch on his throat as he nearly ran face first into Loki, who stood barely a foot away, his own hand outstretched as if reaching for the control panel on the inside of the room. 

“Loki!” Thor cried, blinking slightly and attempting quickly to recover himself. “You--I--” 

He paused, and took advantage of Loki’s seemingly stunned silence to study his brother.

His cheeks were flushed, Thor noted, and his hair in a state of disarray, the curls near the scalp standing up at odd angles.

The most discouraging, however, was the way he held himself, his shoulders tensed nearly to his ears as he pointedly avoided Thor’s gaze. 

“The, uh--” Thor swallowed. “The Valkyrie said that she’d seen you in here. She--she said that you were cr--” he cut himself off abruptly, praying that Loki had not noticed the slip. 

He had never been very good at holding his tongue when made nervous, he lamented mentally. 

His hopes of discretion were dashed, however, by the way Loki’s shoulders tensed further at the words, his mouthing turning down into a small scowl. 

“The Valkyrie,” he hissed, “Should learn better than to stick her nose where it does not belong.” 

The heat behind his words, however, was somewhat diminished by the way he took a small step backward.

“And I was not crying.” Loki tacked on, though the way he rubbed at his slightly red-rimmed eyes did nothing to further validate the words. 

“I see,” Thor replied, glancing away and shuffling his feet in slightly discomfort before he forced himself to continue, “Loki--” 

“You needn’t say anything.” Loki interrupted with a snarl. “If you’re here to--to clear your conscience, you can go.” 

“I’m not.” Thor returned, at once, noting absently how Loki stilled ever so slightly at the words. “I just--I want to apologize.” he admitted, at length. 

“Apologize.” Loki echoed with a small, humorless chuckle. “Well, then. Let me rephrase.” he glanced up for the first time since the conversation had begun, then, and levelled Thor with a cool gaze. 

“You have nothing to apologize for.” 

Thor gaped slightly, his stomach turning at the words. 

Seemingly taking advantage of Thor’s brief lapse into silence, Loki made to move around him--

Only for Thor to catch his forearm. 

The touch was light, now. Easy enough for Loki to break away from, had he desired to do so. 

And still, Loki flinched fiercely, the color draining out of his face as he sucked in an audible breath. 

“Loki,” Thor breathed, when his brother still did not pull away entirely. “Are you--Did I--” 

“It’s fine!” Loki snapped, before he visibly composed himself. 

“You could not impart any more damage than has already been done.” 

At the words, Thor’s stomach turned over again, and he loosened his grip further, though the brush of his fingertips remained hovering against the skin of Loki’s arm. 

“Loki,” he repeated, gently, though there was an undeniable current of command running just beneath the words. “Did I hurt you?” 

“I--” Loki faltered, his gaze flickering rapidly between Thor’s face and where his hand still rested against his forearm. “You--”

The answer was enough to tell Thor all he needed to know. 

“Sit down.” he muttered, nodding curtly, once, toward the far wall over Loki’s shoulder. 

At the words, something in Loki’s expression shifted, his brows furrowing as he eyed Thor warily. 

“Thor…” he began.

“Sit _down_ , Loki.” Thor repeated, taking little pleasure in the way Loki fell back another apprehensive step. 

There was a beat of silence, the space between them crackling with tension, before Loki deflated slightly. 

“Alright,” he relented, at length, and flashed a crooked smile. “If my king commands it.” 

Not rising to the bait, Thor simply glowered as he followed Loki back into the room and watched, folding his arms unrelentingly, as his brother fell back against the wall and slid to the floor. 

“There,” Loki spread both his hands out with a smirk. “Happy?” 

“No.” Thor returned, at once, taking only a moment to register Loki’s faltering expression before he knelt beside his brother.

“Thor,” Loki repeated, all traces of snark immediately leaving him as he tensed at the sudden closeness. “Brother--” 

“Hush,” Thor interrupted, not unkindly. 

And, ever insistent upon defying expectation, Loki did, his mouth snapping shut even as his eyes skittered frantically over Thor’s face. 

As if searching for a sign of threat, Thor thought dismally. 

Drawing in a steadying breath, now, Thor hesitated before repeating his earlier question. 

“Loki,” he began, again. “Did I hurt you?” 

Loki blinked, something in his expression crumpling slightly, before he schooled his features into a cool and indifferent mask. 

“It doesn’t matter.” he replied, at length, his gaze falling to study the floor beneath his feet. 

Something within Thor twisted, then, and he hardly stopped to think before he extended both hands, his fingertips brushing the skin of Loki’s right wrist as he cast a questioning gaze up at his brother. 

Still not meeting his eyes, Loki offered an indifferent shrug, though Thor did not miss the way he tensed further beneath the touch.

Deciding to ignore that, for now, Thor moved to undo the small button at the very end of Loki’s sleeve, his hands faltering only briefly before he began to roll up the leather there. 

Almost immediately, Thor’s gaze zeroed in on the bruises on the skin there, and he sucked in a sharp breath. 

“ _Loki_ ,” he breathed, his stomach turning nauseatingly at the sight. “I--” 

“It’s _fine_.” Loki snapped, already drawing his arm roughly back to himself and cradling it against his chest. 

“It’s not!” Thor argued with a harsh shake of his head. “I--I hurt you!” 

“Do not pretend that it’s anything new.” Loki muttered, his gaze remaining pointedly focussed on where he was rolling his sleeve back down and buttoning it with a cool disinterest. “I have, after all, long since become comfortable with the fact that you are capable of hurting me.” 

He spoke casually, flippantly almost, and yet Thor felt the urge to vomit at the words. 

Rather than react immediately, however, Thor took a moment to inhale deeply, before he took the seat on the floor beside Loki with a small grunt. 

“Maybe so,” he agreed, and inclined his head in a slight nod. “And yet it should not be. You--” 

He broke off, then, swallowing against the sudden tightness of his throat. 

Still, Loki did not turn, his eyes remaining focussed on where he continued to tug at the end of his now neatly buttoned sleeve. 

“You are my little brother.” Thor continued, at length, when it seemed that he was not going to receive a reply. “And I should not hurt you. I was merely--”

“Suspicious?” Loki interrupted, a small smirk curling at the corner of his mouth, now. “I hardly think that anyone could blame you for that.” 

“Still,” Thor continued with a small shake of his head. “I should--should learn to listen. Hear what you have to say, before I accuse you.” 

“Hmm.” Loki hummed, the only indication that he had heard at all, beyond the slight furrow between his brows. 

Thor inhaled deeply, then and reached out to settle one hand on an obviously startled Loki’s shoulder. 

“And I am sorry.” 

There was a beat, before Loki’s expression smoothed. 

“I know,” he replied softly, and for a moment looked so much like the Loki Thor had known before--before _everything_ , that his heart nearly burst at the sight of it. 

The moment was over quickly, however, and Loki glanced away with another small smirk. 

“You always did think more with your muscles than your head, after all.” 

“Ah,” Thor countered, and forced a small smile onto his face. “But the brain _is_ a muscle, brother. Therefore--” he gestured briefly down at his arms. 

“More brains.” 

Loki paused, before his brow furrowed further, his mouth gaping open slightly as he gazed at Thor in what could not be described as anything but a truly offended manner.

“I sometimes cannot even begin to think of what to make of you.” he responded, after a moment, still eyeing Thor with a somewhat bewildered expression. 

Thor decided to count it as a win. 

“Nor I you, brother.” he replied, and huffed a laugh at the exaggerated roll of Loki’s eyes.

Deciding to press his luck a bit further, Thor leaned sideways to wrap an arm around his brother’s shoulders, not missing the way Loki tensed briefly beneath the touch--

Before he wilted, slightly, and almost leaned into it. 

Unable to stop himself, Thor tightened his hold around his brother’s shoulders, briefly, before he shifted to lean the side of his head against Loki’s.

“Nor I you.” 

**Author's Note:**

> they're not necessarily the pinnacle of a healthy relationship! but they're trying their best. 
> 
> honestly all the love to y'all who keep continuing to read and comment. this is absolutely for you!! xx
> 
> (also a huge shout out to the three old fashioneds and one beer that spurred this installation on xoxo). 


End file.
